Roland-Story decks C-M girls

Colfax-Mingo’s Jessica Alright (12) drives to the rim for the layup during the third quarter of C-M’s loss to Roland-Story on Monday.

By Dustin Turner Daily News Sports Writer

COLFAX — The proverbial monkey is off their backs. Colfax-Mingo’s girls got their first win of the season more than a week ago, but win No. 2 has not been easy to come by. C-M looked as though it was poised to pull off a comeback attempt against the visiting Norse from Roland-Story, but a fourth-quarter run put away the Tigerhawks, 68-47.

“We played an excellent game, despite the loss,” C-M coach Michelle Grant said. “We had a game plan to stop their offensive facilitator and we executed it exactly as we wanted. Unfortunately, doing so meant forcing them to make shots from the outside, which they were able to do in the fourth quarter.”

C-M fell behind early as the Norse jumped out to a 16-3 run to start the game. R-S ran a 1-3-1 zone defense that was limiting the Tigerhawks to outside chances, but C-M had several inside shots rim out or hit the side of the rim. Freshman Alivian Haley drained a shot from deep to pull C-M within 10 before the first quarter buzzer sounded.

Foul trouble kept the game at a slow pace during the first half, allowing the Tigerhawks to hang around. R-S was in the bonus with less than two minutes gone from the second quarter. Up 17-7, senior Natalie Vance drained a three for R-S. Jessica Albright took advantage of her opportunity at the foul line by making 1-of-2. Back at the other end, C-M switched into a 2-3 zone, which limited the Norse opportunities to outside shots.

R-S couldn’t convert on several outside chances, and the Tigerhawks got a spark as freshman Amy Russell entered the game and promptly stole a pass and went coast-to-coast, finishing through a foul and converting the free throw. Haley later sunk a foul shot to pull C-M within eight. Russell stole another one and converted the layup. Junior Kristen Waline knifed through the lane for a bucket before the half, putting the Norse ahead, 24-16.

R-S went on a 5-2 run early in the third quarter, but that was stopped when McKenzie Cogley converted a three-point play off an offensive rebound. Albright drove to the bucket for a pair and Jena Teed knocked down a floater, pulling C-M within four. A couple of minutes later, Breawna Schroder fed Russell in the post, and she converted to make it a two-point game.

Vance drove baseline and hit a floater to give R-S breathing room. Brittany Hammes converted a three-point play, and R-S led 38-31 following the free throw. Albright kept the Tigerhawks in it as she split the press and went right to the bucket for the easy two. A late free-throw line jumper by Taylor Olson gave the Norse a 42-35 lead heading into the fourth.

The final quarter was all Norse. Olson converted a three-point play to open things up. Cogley answered with a jumper from the elbow, but Hammes proceeded to knock down back-to-back threes from the corner. R-S closed it out from there thanks to solid free throw shooting.

C-M travels to Saydel tonight in the Tigerhawks third to last game of the season.